Wine & Spirits - December 2019 - 73

YEAR'S BEST BAROLO & BARBARESCO
Our blind panels tasted 204 new-release Barolo and Barbaresco wines over the past 12 months. Stephanie Johnson, our critic for Italy,
rated 109 as exceptional (90+) and 23 as Best Buys. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com.

274221

BA RO LO
274032

98 | Comm. G.B. Burlotto

$90

2015 Barolo Monvigliero ^ In 2014, Fabio
Alessandria shrugged off the challenges of a
rainy growing season to make an exceptionally good Monvigliero. He's done it again in
2015, facing almost opposite conditions of
heat and dryness. Verduno's Monvigliero
cru towers over the northern edge of the
Barolo zone, adjacent to the Tanaro River,
which brings cool evening breezes to relieve
the vines in the heat of July and August. Alessandria ferments the wine with whole clusters and keeps the juice and skins together
for nearly three months, intensifying the
fruit's herbal and spice tones while creating a
powerful, ageworthy structure. The site's signature aromas of rose petals and white pepper are here in abundance, along with notes
of bay leaf, hibiscus and mint that spin out
from a core of bright cherry fruit. Always one
of Barolo's most distinctive wines, Burlotto's ethereal 2015 Monvigliero is well worth
hunting down. § Bacchanal Imports, NY
274033

97 | Comm. G.B. Burlotto

$93

2015 Barolo Cannubi ^ Fabio Alessandria
makes this wine from a two-acre plot in the
Barolo commune's Cannubi cru, purchased
by his great-grandfather in the early 20th
century. It sees a shorter maceration than
Monvigliero, around 15 days, gaining juicy
flavors of cherry, currant and raspberry that
feel fresh and crunchy in the context of the
warm 2015 vintage. Rose petal scents and
notes of orange peel and mint enhance the
wine's bright, vibrant character. A few hours
of exposure to air reveal layers of licorice,
tobacco and warm spice, a hint of the complex evolution this wine will offer over the
next decade. § Bacchanal Imports, NY
273428

97 | Elvio Cogno

$143

2013 Barolo Ravera Riserva Vigna Elena ^
Walter Fissore's focus on Novello's Ravera
cru makes a powerful case for specialization. He produces four Barolos, all from
Ravera, all from the vines that surround his
farmhouse, and his wines seem to get better with each vintage, regardless of the conditions. Vigna Elena is a singular wine, the

only Barolo made entirely from nebbiolo
rosé, once thought to be a nebbiolo clone
but now shown to be a separate yet closely
related variety. Much of the variety's charm
lies in its intense scents of rose petal and red
berry, yet it is austere in flavor; Fissore always
releases Vigna Elena a year later than Bricco
Pernice, his other Riserva. The 2013 Vigna
Elena opens with those signature scents,
along with notes of tobacco and damp leaves.
Those earthier tones dissipate with air, giving
way to flavors of ripe cherry and raspberry
layered with notes of licorice and truffle.
This is a wine that will reward patience, as
those complex flavors continue to develop
while the firm, mineral tannins soften. § Wilson Daniels, St. Helena, CA
273587

96 | Elvio Cogno

$100

2015 Barolo Ravera ^ Walter Fissore's Ravera
is brilliant in the warm 2015 vintage, striking
a balance between fleshy cherry fruit, fresh
florals and chiseled tannins. The wine feels
generous yet precise, the flavors and aromas
amplified by lively acidity that draws them
out in a long, vertical finish. § Leonardo LoCascio Selections/Winebow Imports, NY
273854

96 | Massolino

$151

2012 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda ^ Franco
Massolino releases his Riserva Vigna Rionda
six years after harvest, a nod to this cru's reputation for producing austere, powerfully
structured wines. His 2012 bottling is fresh
and vibrant, with high-toned red-berry flavors brightened by notes of orange peel and
floral scents. The wine's massive tannins, polished for three-and-a-half years in large Slavonian casks, feel cool and ferrous, primed to
keep this wine taut and lively for many years
to come. § Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL
274222

96 | Vietti

$205

2015 Barolo Ravera ^ This Barolo, from
Novello's Ravera cru, leads off an impressive
set of 2015 releases from Luca Currado. It's
rich and lively, with flavors of black cherry
and seeded raspberry laced with notes
of menthol, licorice and tobacco. Highly
appealing for its energy and layered complexity, the wine has formidable tannins that
call for patience. § Dalla Terra, Napa, CA

96 | Vietti

$205

2015 Barolo Lazzarito ^ This wine's rose
and violet scents lead into flavors of blackberry and cherry layered with notes of fresh
tobacco. The wine rested for 30 months in
a mix of large casks and barriques, gaining
hints of toasted spice and velvety tannins,
yet the flavors remain brisk and fresh. § Dalla
Terra, Napa, CA
274011

95 | Luigi Baudana

$80

95 | Comm. G.B. Burlotto

$56

95 | Comm. G.B. Burlotto

$75

95 | G.D. Vajra

$80

2015 Barolo Cerretta ^ Giuseppe Vaira, who
has an impressive set of 2015 releases under
his family's G.D. Vajra label, is also the winemaker at Luigi Baudana. The Vaira family took over management of this tiny Serralunga estate in 2009 and converted its 6.4
vineyard acres to organic farming practices.
The 2015 Cerretta feels rich and autumnal,
the deep black-cherry flavors layered with
notes of apple skin and warm spice and firm,
fine-grained tannins. § MHW, Manhasset, NY
274030
2015 Barolo (Best Buy) ^ Fabio Alessandria's
fresh, floral Barolo offers the best qualityprice ratio of all the 2015 Barolos we tasted
this year. Culled from the family's vineyards
in Verduno and Roddi, it underwent a shorter
maceration than his single-cru Barolos, giving a bright and lithe wine. It tastes of fresh
cherries tinged with notes of tea leaves and
orange peel-classic, energetic and delicious. §
Bacchanal Imports, NY
274031
2015 Barolo Acclivi ^ Acclivi combines fruit
from the family's plots in the Monvigliero,
Neirane and Rocche dell'Olmo crus into a
wine that showcases the best of the Verduno
commune. Dark cherry flavors swirl around
a core of bright acidity, taking on notes of
crunchy herbs and peppery spices, the flavors guided by fine, nuanced tannins. § Bacchanal Imports, NY
273835
2015 Barolo Bricco delle Viole ^ Bricco delle
Viole, a cru that rises up to 1,575 feet on the
Barolo commune's western edge, has clear
views of the Alps. This wine channels some
of that Alpine coolness in its elegant feel:
WINE & SPIRITS

DECEMBER 2019

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Wine & Spirits - December 2019

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